Three Things for February 17
1. President Biden requests Trump’s visitor logs
President Joe Biden has requested the National Archives release visitor logs from the time former President Donald Trump was in the White House.
In the next 15 days, the National Archives must submit these visitor logs to the House committee investigating the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6.
“Former President Donald Trump had claimed the records — which show dates and times of appointments people make to enter the White House complex — were subject to executive privilege,” reports NPR.
In a letter to the Archives on Feb. 15, Dana Remus, White House counsel, said the Biden administration routinely releases the logs, as did the Obama administration.
“Preserving the confidentiality of this type of record generally is not necessary to protect long-term institutional interests of the Executive Branch,” Remus wrote.
“The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) told Trump in a letter on Wednesday that unless a court intervenes it would turn over the logs on March 3, the same day it is scheduled to provide former Vice President Mike Pence's records,” reports Reuters.
The White House did not respond to any other request beyond the letter.
2. Sydney Beach experiences first shark attack in almost six decades
On Feb. 16, Sydney Beach in Sydney, Australia experienced its first fatal shark attack since 1963.
According to Australian authorities, emergency services arrived in Buchan Point, Malabar on Wednesday in response to a shark attack report. The officers discovered human remains in the water.
“An unnamed eyewitness, clearly shaken, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that he had been fishing off nearby rocks when he saw a man wearing a wetsuit swimming across the bay, only to get dragged underwater by a large shark in an attack that lasted several seconds,” reports NPR.
The witness says a large white shark came from beneath the victim. Experts believe the murky water caused the shark to mistake the victim for its prey.
Randwick City Council announced all of the area’s beaches will be closed for 24 hours following the fatal attack. Meanwhile, lifeguards will patrol the vicinity for more shark sightings.
“The coast is our community’s backyard. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families," said Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker, according to NPR. “To lose someone to a shark attack like this is chilling. We are all in shock.”
3. Mudslide in Brazil leaves 110 dead, 134 missing
On Tuesday, Feb. 15, the city of Petropolis, Brazil experienced the most intense rainfall in decades. Torrents of floodwaters and mudslides dragged cars and houses through the streets of the city, leaving at least 110 dead and 130 people still unaccounted for, according to AP News.
“The Rio de Janeiro state government confirmed the rising loss of life hours after local police announced 134 people are missing, many feared trapped in mud beneath the German-influenced city nestled in the mountains above the city of Rio de Janeiro,” reports AP News.
A small slide early on Thursday, Feb. 17 prompted an evacuation but didn’t cause any injuries.
Rio police said approximately 200 agents were checking lists of the living, the dead and the missing by visiting checkpoints and shelters, as well as the city’s morgue. They said they managed to remove three people from a list of missing after finding them alive in a local school.
For more information, read the full AP News article.
